Farmer from Peddapalli grows exotic plants in organic method

Peddapalli: Even as the majority of farmers in the State have ditched the old practice of growing the vegetables, fruits and root vegetables in a piece of land available in the surrounding of their respective houses due to various reasons, a farmer from Munjampally of Palakurthy mandal in Peddapalli district is trying to impress upon […]

Peddapalli: Even as the majority of farmers in the State have ditched the old practice of growing the vegetables, fruits and root vegetables in a piece of land available in the surrounding of their respective houses due to various reasons, a farmer from Munjampally of Palakurthy mandal in Peddapalli district is trying to impress upon the people living in the rural pockets to revive the culture of home garden as it would be beneficial in many ways.

Visitors to his house nestled near a hillock about 40 km away from the district headquarter remain awestruck for some time after they happened to see many plants and trees including the exotic ones in his small land holding (three guntas). Speaking to Telangana Today, Pandilla Raji Reddy, who owns about five guntas of the land at his house, said that he had been growing a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and medicinal plants in three guntas land available at his house for quite some time now. While the vegetables include the tomatoes, chilli, leafy vegetables, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, air potato, he is also growing fruit plants like guava, lemon, Sitaphal, Ramaphal, Sapota, Anjeer (dry fig) and jujebi.

“We are also growing the exotic plants like dragon fruit, Karonda (Carandas Cherry), and water apple. Medicinal plants like aloe vera, Nalleru (Cissus quadrangularis), lemon grass, and wheat grass. Banana, grapes, guava and sapota (naseberry) in our garden besides several flowering plants,” Reddy said, adding that they had ordered the dragon fruit through the Amazon nearly one and a half year ago, and developed at least 20 plants from a single plant.

One must know that he is growing his whole garden either in a natural and organic method of farming. “We are using only vermicomposting and manure made of cattle dung and decomposed haystack to grow the garden,” Raji Reddy said and added that he was happy they could cultivate vegetables which are sufficient to five members of his family. “I feel sorry for myself when I was forced to purchase the vegetables in the weekly market held at our village where the vendors sell the vegetables grown using the chemical fertiliser and pesticides which is harmful to human beings,” Reddy said, and added that his parents had encouraged him to grown the home garden in organic farming method.

“Since many villagers own at least one or two guntas of land near to their home, they must grow the home garden in front or back yard to protect their health or else they should grow the vegetables in their farm lands using the organic method,” a RMP doctor from the village Dr Satyam, who appreciates Raji Reddy for his efforts to grow the garden in organic method despite low yield. Raji Reddy is urging the State government to encourage the farmers to take up organic farming on a large scale considering the health benefits. This tiny village is located about three km away from the bank of Godavari River about 52 km away from Karimnagar city.

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